Keshi was the PSL's next coach

Stephen Keshi, the former Nigeria national football team captain and coach who died on Wednesday morning aged 54, had concrete offers from two PSL clubs, his agent, Tim Sukazi, has revealed.

"The Big Boss", as Keshi was referred to, suffered cardiac arrest while in Benin City, Nigeria. He’d become the subject of growing speculation that he would take over from Eric Tinkler at Orlando Pirates.

But Sukazi, while confirming that his client would have been keen to be in the hot seat at one of the biggest clubs on the African continent, insisted the Buccaneers had not approached Keshi for the job.

“We are saddened that we did not get to fulfil our ambitions and dreams for such a high calibre coach... Since Keshi joined us in May, we had been working tirelessly to get him a job and I can confirm that he was offered a role of a technical director at one club and a coaching role at another,” the agent said.

“There was no truth to reports in Nigeria that he was going to coach Pirates because that club had no coaching vacancy. But would Keshi have been interested? Absolutely. I was asked to be discreet by the interested clubs and even after his death, I will continue to do so ... he was definitely going to be coaching in the PSL in the new season.”

Sukazi, who was in Monaco, France, last week on business also revealed that he was due to speak to Keshi on Wednesday - the day the former Togo national team coach died - to forge ahead with plans to secure his immediate future.

Keshi had been unattached since his contract with Nigeria was not renewed on June 2015.

“My parting shot was when we spoke just before I boarded a flight to Monaco on Thursday last week. I told him that we needed to chat when I get back to finalise everything,” said Sukazi.